Overview
- Crews began overnight work to take the letters bearing President Donald Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center façade after the institution missed a court-ordered deadline, with removals visible early Saturday.
- On May 29, Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress can change the Kennedy Center’s statutory name and gave the center two weeks to remove references to Trump while blocking a planned two-year closure for renovations.
- A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel declined to freeze Cooper’s order and asked for more written briefs, leaving the removal requirement enforceable while the appeals process continues.
- Lawyers for the center warned the removal could trigger donor-return rules that might require repayment of large private gifts, a risk the Justice Department said could involve hundreds of millions of dollars and create near-term financial uncertainty.
- The dispute grew from a board overhaul after President Trump returned to the White House in February 2025, prompted artist cancellations and public criticism from the Kennedy family, and the board has said it will continue to appeal the rulings.